5 Video Games That Are Better With Mods

The modding community has been tampering with old games for years now. Much to our surprise, the results from producing such creativity have been electrifying, and have often inspired vast new worlds full of laughably bad crossovers to jolt to life. This is, of course, thanks to the raw power of mods, and we owe a lot to the minds that devote such precious hours into developing them.

Adding a mod to a game can add a little extra spice to an otherwise bland experience. Whether it's a quirky cosmetic or a cinematic shader, such features can manipulate the code and make one minor detail an entirely different thing. The question we're left to ask, though, is which games are the most fun to tamper with? Well, here are the five games we'd recommend adding a little extra flavor to.

5. Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

Because who wouldn't want to replace the fiery breath of a dragon with a smoke-tooting cartoon train? It seems to us that Skyrim, as perfect as it is in its rawest form, was built to be modded. And you had best believe the modding community has done all in its power to transform that beloved marvel into a full-blown carnival of monstrous creations and ludicrously entertaining and unthinkable crossovers. Thomas the Tank Engine, of course, being just one of them.

First impressions can lead you to believe that Skyrim is a pretty serious place, somewhere in which dragons ravage the remnants of a petrified civilization and pick the bones of whatever burns in its wake. Add a few mods to the mix, however, and you can turn that living nightmare into a psychedelic Pixar movie, a place where creativity knows no bounds. Like Skyrim, only much, much weirder.

4. Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas

If you've ever pictured yourself scooting around San Andreas with Homer Simpson giving you the low-down on what's what and who's who, then you'll be pleased to know that such realities exist. The problem, though, is that you'll probably never see Grand Theft Auto in the same way. That said, it's a small sacrifice for what can only be described as a treasure trove of endless entertainment.

San Andreas is by far one of the most recognizable worlds in gaming. For that reason alone, fans can basically predict everything that takes place within, including NPC dialogue and weather forecasts. Implementing a bunch of mods, however, can open a huge variety of new doors, thereby making a whole other alternate reality to roam around in. And if Springfield doesn't appeal to you, then 100 Acre Wood might just do the trick.

3. Garry's Mod

Garry's Mod isn't a game, per se, but more of a communal sandbox in which modders can build playable experiences for others to truck around in. From worlds inspired by Harry Potter to characters drawn directly from Viva Piñata — Garry's Mod lays out the tools to craft just about anything. And the results, as one can probably imagine, are often a little...strange.

The modding community has been shaping the nexus that is the Garry's Mod library for the best part of seventeen years now. In that time, thousands of creations have come to life, showcasing the true power of the common creative and their unfathomable treasures. All in all, this collection is an absolute feast for the eyes, and a real treat for anyone who's happy to lose themselves to thousands of hours of fan-made content.

2. Planet Coaster

Prepare to let your imagination run wild as you transform the grounds of Hogwarts into one of the biggest wizarding theme parks of all time. And if that doesn't do it for you, then perhaps switching up Disney's Magic Kingdom will get the creative juices flowing. Thanks to Planet Coaster's incredibly talented modding community, maps exist in just about every category there is, and not one of them falls short on opportunities for players to unlock their inner architect.

Of course, Planet Coaster is absolutely swimming in features for budding thrill seekers to experiment with without the use of mods. By adding them, though, the base game can add another 200% of content, a lot of which can be experienced over a variety of new maps. As well as this, you can also build coasters without the usual restrictions that bog down players' creative sparks. Like, who wouldn't want to build a life-threatening coaster around the fiery pits of Mount Doom?

1. Fallout 4

Turning a mercenary into Buzz Lightyear is one thing, but modding the whole of Fallout 4 to make each and every character an anime princess is one step too far. It's also a great example of just how much one can do with the tools the Fallout community holds, and its arsenal is only likely to double in size as the years pass over.

Fallout 4, along with its New Vegas cousin, of course, have both received their fair share of tweaks over the years, a lot of which have improved the basic infrastructure of the gameplay itself. Besides the usual quirks and gimmicks, the modding community has also worked to turn the decade old series into absolutely stunning individual theatrical works of art. To this day, Fallout 4 remains one of the most visually impressive games on the market — even with all the anime characters running amok.

So, what's your take? Do you agree with our top five? Are there any mods we should know about? Let us know over on our socials here or down in the comments below.